Sayyiduna Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever dies in such a state that he has no Imam (i.e., he is not obedient to any Muslim ruler), then such a person dies the death of the days of ignorance (Jahiliyyah)." (Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him, says:) The statement of the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), "he dies the death of the days of ignorance," means: Whoever passes away in such a state that he does not believe that he has an Imam who calls people to the obedience of Allah Almighty and protects the foundations of Islam in times of incidents and difficulties, and that person follows him—if he does not have the qualities we have described, then such a person dies the death of the days of ignorance. (Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him, says:) Apparently, from this narration, it is understood that whoever passes away in such a state that he has no Imam, by this the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) means: such a person dies the death of the days of ignorance. The reason for this is: The Imam of the people of the earth is the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Whoever does not know of the Imamate of the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), he believes in some other Imam besides the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and gives preference to his statement over the statement of the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and then dies in that state—such a person dies the death of the days of ignorance.